Atomizer



Patented Sept. 13, 1932 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE HARRY MEACHEM, OFTEANECK, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO TODD DRY DOCK, EN-

GINEERING & REPAIR CORPORATION,

OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK ATOMIZER Application filed February 25, 1931,Serial No. 518,139. Renewed June 29, 1932.

This invention relates to liquid fuel burners and my improvements aredirected to an atomizer structure wherein liquid fuel, introducedthereinto under rotatingly low pressure, is subjected to high speedrotative means that impel the liquid fuel through a number of successivestages in said structure,

until it reaches the emission outlet, which may be in the form of acircularly tangential slit, whence the fuel issues whirlingly m a filmthat is caused to'take a partly spherical form.

To aid in preventing this partly spherical film of liquid fuel fromtailing out radially,

primary and secondary supplies of air, provided to support combustion,may be employed in the manner set forth in my companion case, filedconcurrently herewlth, entitled Improvements in the methods of airdelivery for fuel combustion and apparatus therefor, with Serial No.518,138

and filing date of February 25, 1931, the present application dealingparticularly with the structure of the atomizer per se.

Other features and advantages of my invention will hereinafter appear.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a side elevation, partly in section, of my improvedatomizer, and

Fig. 2 is a front view of the spindle, with the member 14 removed.

The atomizer herein illustrated is shown as having a tubular casing 1 inwhich is revolubly fitted a spindle 2, rotatable in a counter-clockwisedirection, viewed in the direction of flow, and that is provided with asuccession of annular grooves or depressions 3, thereby leaving upon thespindle a series of radial flanges or collars 4 that are separated byintervening spaces 5. Notches 6 are formed in the periphery of eachflange or collar 4 as means of communication between the spaces, andsaid notches may have staggered relation in succeeding flanges.

Spindle 2 has a reduced extension 7, bearing a screw thread 8, saidextension with its thread being housed partly in an extension 9, ofsmaller diameter, of easing 1, and partly in a casting 10 that is inscrew threaded 60 engagement with casing extension 9. A motor shaft 11is shown as having a bearing in casting 10 and as being in screwthreaded engagement with spindle 2, it being intended that the spindleis to be given a high speed of rotation which in practice has been 3500R. P.

Liquid fuel introduced into an interspace of thread 8, as from a duct 12in casting 10, is guided toward the flanged portion of the spindle inits rotation, and is forced through the stages represented by theflanges 4, with their staggered communicating notches 6, for issuance atthe nozzle end of the atomizer.

The notches 6 are angled, as shown, to form a taper with the wall ofeasing 1 against which the spindle flanges rotate, the thin end of thetaper leading in the rotation of the spindle. Hence liquid fuel inpassing through the notches becomes thoroughly pulverized or broken upas it enters the successive stages of the atomizer..

The forward end of tubular casing 1 is beveled, as indicated at 13, anda cap member 14, secured upon a projecting end portiongtlli of spindle2, co-acts with said bevelledhid 13, with which it is in spacedrelation, to provide an annular slit 16 for issuance of the whirlingfuel in the form of a film. The cap member 14 is adjustable alongspindle portion 15 to thereb vary the thickness, and hence the volume 0the issuing film of fuel. The surface 17 of cap member 14, which isopposed to the casing end 13, is of convex contour, to thereby cause theissuing fuel film to take a conoidal form which adapts it par-vticularly for co-operation with the supplies of primary and secondaryair provided by the apparatus referred to in my aforesaid companioncase.

Although forming no part of the present application, a primary airsupply nozzle is herein illustrated as a tubular member 18 thatsurrounds the casing 1 in a manner to provide an annular space 19between said member and casing, just anterior the fuel issuance slit 16,said space 19 being a continuation of an air passageway 20, which is incommunication with a source of pressure air supply, not illus-- tratedherein. The effect of the pressure of the outlet for space 19 lying aair, leaving the annular space 19, upon the film of fuel leavingissuance slit 16, is to impart a partly spherical form to said film.

Variations within the spirit and scope of my invention are equallycomprehended by the foregoing disclosure.

I claim:

1. A multi-stage atomizer for liquid fuel comprising a tubular casing, aspindle rotatable therein, a series of spaced, radial flanges on saidspindle, said flanges co-acting with the spindle and casing to formintervening spaces, means of communication throu h said flanges, meansfor supplying liquid fuel to said casing, near one end thereof, meanswithin the casing for impelling the liquid fuel toward the flanges, andmeans for the issue of fuel at the other end of the casing.

2. A multi-stage atomizer for liquid fuel comprising a tubular casing, aspindle r0tatable therein, a series of spaced, radial flanges on saidspindle, said flanges co-acting with the spindle and casing to formintervening spaces, peripheral notches in said flanges for the passageof liquid fuel, the notches in succeeding flanges having staggeredrelation, means for supplying liquid fuel to said casing, near one endthereof, means for impelling the liquid fuel toward the flanges, andmeans for the issue of fuel at the other end of the casing. 1

-3. A multi-stage atomizer for liquid fuel comprising a tubular casing,a spindle rotatable therein, a series of spaced, radial flanges on saidspindle, said flanges co-acting with the spindle and casing to formintervening spaces, peripheral notches in said flanges for the passageof liquid fuel, said notches being tapered circularly, with the thin endof the taper leading in the rotation of the spindle, means for supplyingliquid fuel to said casing, near one end thereof, means for impellingthe liquid fuel toward the flanges, and means for the issue of fuel atthe other end of the casing.

4:. In an atomizer for liquid fuel, in combination, a tubular casing, aspindle rotatable therein, means for supplying liquid fuel to saidcasing, a series of spaced apart flanges on said spindle, in co-actionwith said casing, said flanges having peripheral notches for the passageof fuel, and the delivery end of said casing having an inclined, annularslit, for the issue of fuel in hollow, conoidal form.

5. In an atomizer for liquid fuel, in combination, a tubular casing, aspindle rotatable therein, means for supplying liquid fuel to saidcasing, a series of spaced apart flanges on said spindle, in co-actionwith said casing, said flanges having peripheral notches for the passageof fuel, the delivery end of said casing having an inclined surface, anda head port-ion for said spindle having a convex surface in opposedrelation to the inclined end of the casing, thereby providing aninclined slit for the issue of a film of fuel in hollow, conoidal form.

6. In an atomizer for liquid fuel, in combination, a tubular casing, aspindle rotatable therein, means for supplying liquid fuel to saidcasing, aseries of spaced apart flanges on said spindle, in co-actionwith said casin g, said flanges having peripheral notches for thepassage offuel, the delivery end of said casing having an inclinedsurface, and a head portion for said spindle having a convex surface inopposed relation to the inclined end of the casing, thereby providing aninclined slit for the issue of a film of fuel in hollow, conoidal form,and means for ad'- justing the width of the slit.

7. In an atomizer for liquid fuel, in combination, a tubular casing, aspindle rotatable therein, said spindle carrying a screw thread near oneend of said casing, means for introducing fuel to an interspace of saidthread, a series of spaced apart flanges on said spindle, in co-actionwith said casing, said flanges having peripheral notches for the passageof fuel, and means at the other end of said casing for fuel delivery.

New York, N. Y., February 2nd, 1931.

HARRY MEACHEM.

